Details of this species in Kapiti Is. Status: Alien
Invasiveness: Invasive
Occurrence: Eradicated
Source: Brown and Sherley., 2002 Arrival Date: 1893
Introduction: Species Notes for this Location:
Management Notes for this Location:
The control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) on Kapiti Island began by trapping in 1920, and continued until 1969 when a moratorium was placed on trapping when the value of this control was disputed. An eradication programme was initiated in 1980. There were three main phases to eradication. From 1980 to 1982, possums were killed by seven trappers commercially harvesting possum skins, using gin traps. Between 1983 and January 1985, four trappers worked on the island for wages, as opposed to selling skins, trapping at a more intense level. The final phase was from March 1985 to March 1987, where two trappers worked at a high level, and three dog handlers with teams of dogs also worked intensively searching the island for any remaining possums. In August 1984, the northern end of the western cliffs of the island were sown by helicopter with 1080 (mono sodium fluoroacetate) poison. During these years, 19,500 possums were killed by gin traps, 1500 by 1080, and a further 32 were caught by dogs toward the end of the programme. Possums were declared to be eradicated in October 1986, and since then stringent quarantine measures have remained in place to ensure reinvasion does not occur. Location Notes:
Kapiti Island (1965 ha) lies 5 km off the south-west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and has been a nature reserve since 1897. It has precipitous western cliffs and numerous streams and gullies dissecting it's eastern slopes. It has a combination of regenerating forest and shrubland with some grassland. Last Modified: 7/01/2005 2:32:30 p.m.
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